Shirt protector



N. E. MOORE SHIRT PROTECTOR am 3 9 l 4 IN Filed Dec. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 4, 1933. E MOORE 1,916,328

SHIRT PROTECTOR Filed Dec. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 4, 1933 PATENT OFFICE NORMAN E. MOORE, F BiATAVIA, NEW YORK SHIRT PROTECTOR Application filed December 12, 1931. Serial No. 580,682.

This invention relates to shirt forms or protectors and more particularly to a combined shirt board and collar or neck band protector desirable for use by laundries in the packaging of laundered shirts so as to maintain them in proper ironed and folded condition and to protect and prevent the collars or neck hands from being crushed, rumpled or soiled during the return of the shirts from the 0 laundry.

It is common practice in laundries to fold the shirt over a rectangular piece of cardboard known as a shirt board, on which the v shirt is retained, as by pinning or by a paper band encircling the folded shirt. Sometimes a protector is employed comprising a rectangular cardboard to which a paper sheet is attached so as to form a sort of envelope into which the shirt may be slipped. However, these prior devices do not properly protect the neck bands or attached collars.

Some attempts have been made to' support or protect the attached collar or neck hand by the use of separate narrow cardboard insorts or the like which are placed inside of the band or collar, and shirt boards with folded devices adapted to be arranged within the collar or shirt band have also been used.

In the use of all of these devices, it is usually necessary to return the shirts with which they are used from the laundry in boxes, since said devices are only partially successful in protecting the collars and do not entirely protect the collars or prevent them from being crushed or rumpled.- In addition, the provision of the boxes is a considerable item of expense.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a combined shirt board and collar protector of inexpensive construction which can be readily applied and will effectually protect the attached collar or neck band, as well as preserving the folded laundered condition of the shirt; also to provide a protector consisting of a single piece of cardboard adapted to be folded so as to provide, inv addition to the usual flat, rectangular form over or upon which the shirt is-folded,

- a box-like protector or guard for the collar which extends over and around the collar so as to enclose and protect the collar or neck band; also to provide a device of this character which may be formed from a single blank of cardboard or the like adapted to be shlpped and stored in a flat condition so as to occupy the minimum of space. and which permits the shirt to be. neatlyfolded and secured upon 'or about the body portion of the devlce, after which the part which forms the collar protector can be easily and quickly folded and secured into box-like form and arranged over the collar or shirt band; and also to provide a device of this kind such that laundered shirts folded thereon may be neatly packaged either singly or in superposed arrangement by simply wrapping them in paper, the collar or neck band protecting portions bemgsufliciently rigid or stiff to support the welght of the superposed shirts and protectors and prevent the crushing of the collars, whereby the paper wrapped packages may be handledand delivered without danger of the shirts being rumpled or the collars crushed or deformed, without the necessity for an enclosing box.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a practical embodiment of my improved shirt protector or combined shirt board and collar protector in its flat, storage condition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the device extended flatwise and arranged upside down in position to permit the initial steps of folding the shirt about the same to be performed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing the shirt folded upon the body of the device with the collar uppermost and with the collar protector extending from an 9 end of the body portion'ready to be folded over upon the front of the shirt to enclose the collar.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the folded shirt in place on the device with the lot collar guard resting upon the front of the shirt and enclosing the collar.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing two shirts folded about their rotectors 1n super osed arrangement rea y for wrapping.

ig. 6 is a erspective view showmg an embodiment of the invention in connection with a shirt board having a paper sheath into which a shirt is inserted after folding.

In the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-5, the protector is formed of cardboard or the like, comprising a body or shirt board 10, preferably of rectan ular form, havin o posite, longitudinal e ges 11, a free en e ge 12 and an opposite end edge 13. A boxlike protector is arranged at the edge 13, being integrally secured by a narrow, transverse connecting ortion 14 adapted to be folded into angu ar relation to the shirt board 10, the device being folded, scored, or otherwise weakened along the edge 13 for this pur ose. The connecting1 portion 14 referab y extends the full widt of the shirt board 10, being formed integrally therewith along said edge 13.

The box-like protector includes an extension or flap 18 w ich is connected to the other ed e 16 of the connecting portion 14 prefera 1y b a fold or scored line extending for nearl the entire width of the portion 14.

This ap 18 is preferably slightly tapered as shown, and its free end 19 is preferably curved as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Extending laterally from each of the side edges 20 of the flap 18 are integral side portions or strips 21 adapted to be folded into angular relation to the flap along the edges, folds or scores 20 of the" flap.

The side members or strips 21 are extended beyond the end 19 of the flap as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to form tabs which are each rovided with a transverse notch or cutawa formation 23 adjacent the ends thereo The card board is slit or 'cut away at 24 on each side of the device at the outer side thereof between the connecting portion 14 and the adjacent ends of the strips 21 for a distance equal to the width of said strips to enable these portions to be folded relatively to the flapl18 and said connecting portion 14 respective If desired, the material of which the de vice is made may be slit or severed for a distance along the edge 13, as shown at 25 to weaken the fold sufficiently to ensure that the guard portion will lie flat upon the shirt front in use, as otherwise the guard portion might have a tendency to spring upwards out of operative position owing to the character of the material.

In the use of my improved device, as disclosed'in Figs. 1-5, a shirt is first arran ed front down upon the usual folding ta le' or other support, and the flat extended protector or device is then arranged face down upon the upper middle portion of the back thereof so that the shirt can be folded and secured about sides 11 and end 12 of the body portion 10 in the usual manner.

After this has been done, the shirt and the device are together turned over, so that the front of the shirt faces upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. The opposite side ortions or strips 21 of the collar guard portion are now bent upwardly into angular relation to the flap 18 along the folds 20, and the two free tabs of said portions 21 are brought together across or ad acent the end 19 of the flap and secured in this position by interengaging or interlocking the notched portions or formations 23. (See Fig. 3.)

By now bendin the connecting portion 14 alon the scored, olded or partly severed line 13, flat is, coincident with the edge 13 of the shirt board 10, and then bending the flap 18 in the same direction along the fold 16 between the same and the connectin portion, the folded guard portion can arranged over the collar or neck band so that the flap-'18 extends substantially parallel to the enclosed body portion 10 in spaced relation to the top ed e of the collar, and with the side strips 21, nt as described, depending therefrom with their edges resting upon the front of the shirt so as to form a relative}? rigid rim straddling the collar or shirt ban In this manner the collar or neck band is entirely enclosed within and protected b the guard since the folded portion 21 an the upwardly extended connecting portion 14 completely surround the same. This arrangement results in a comparatively rigid box-like structure which will withstand a considerable pressure or weight without collapsing so that when arranged for packing as shown in Fig. 5, the shirts can be wrapped in paper and delivered without crumpling the shirts or crushing the collars or neck bands.

Preferably the flap 18, forming the top wall of the box-like collar enclosing guard, is formed or provided with a window or opening 30 which will enable laundry markings or other designations on the collar or shirt band to be seen while the guard is in its operative or protecting position.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to use in connection with a body portion around which the shirt is folded since the guard portion can be applied either integrally or by attachment, to other forms or body members. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the guard is applied to a shirt supporting form 31 comprising a flat card portion 32 similar to the body portion 10, but having a paper sheath or pocket 33 secured thereto into which the shirt may he slipped endwise after it has been folded. The guard is then folded and arranged about the collar or neck band of the shirt, as before.

I claim:

1. A protector for laundered shirts comprising a form against a face of which the folded shirt abuts with the collar or neck band uppermost, and an inverted box-like guard having a top wall which extends over the collar or neck band in spaced relation to said form, and a relatively rigid marginal rim which depends therefrom to and upon the front of the shirt and straddles said collar or neck band and supports said top wall out of contact with said collar or. neck band.

2. A protector for laundered shirts comprising a form against a face of which the folded shirt abuts with the collar or neck band uppermost, a transverse upright portion at one end of said form extending adjacent and protecting the back of said collar or neck band, and an inverted box-like guard extending from the upper edge thereof over the collar or neck band with its depending sides straddling the latter and resting upon the front of the shirt to enclose and protect the sides and front of said collar or neck band.

3. A protector for laundered shirts comprising a flat form against a face of which the folded shirt abuts with the collar or neck band uppermost, a transverse upright portion at one end of said body portion, and an inverted box-like guard comprising a flat top wall connected along one edge to and extending forwardly from an edge of said transverse portion, a rim which depends from the remaining edges of said top wall to and upon the front of the shirt and straddles said collar or neckband, and said top wall having a sight opening therein through which markings on the shirt within said guard may be seen.

4. A protector for laundered shirts comprising a flat body portion, a flap extending centrally and lengthwise beyond said body portion and foldably connected thereto by an attaching portion, narrow marginal portions at the longitudinal sides of said flap and disposable into angular relation to said flap and having tabs which extend beyond and are formed to be secured across the free end of said flap, to thereby form a relatively rigid rim about the sides and free end of said flap.

5. A one piece protector for laundered shirts comprising a flat body portion, a narrow rectangular attaching portion extending transversely across an end thereof and secured along one of its side edges to said body portion by a weakened fold extending for substantially the entire width of said body portion, a flap extending beyond said attaching portion and secured along the opposite side edge thereof by a fold extending to near the side edges of said attaching portion, a.

narrow side portion connected by a fold to each side edge-of said flap each having a free extension continuing beyond the end of the flap and forming a tab, incisions between the other ends of said side portions and said attaching portions to permit said side portions to be folded relatively to said flap, and formations on said tab extensions for interlocking the same one to the other across the end of said flap whensaid side portions have been folded.

6. A blank from which a protector for folded laundered shirts may be formed by folding, comprising a flat body portion to which the body of the shirt may be fitted when folded, a flap having a width exceeding the diameter of the collar, or neck band of the shirt, an attaching strip flexibly connected to an edge of said flap and to an edge of said body portion, and said flap having parts foldable into angular relation thereto and interengageable with one another when folded to form relatively rigid-flanges engageable with the folded shirt so as to straddle said collar or neck band and limit the approach of said flap towards the latter to prevent crushing the same.

7. A blank from which a protector for folded laundered shirts may be formed by folding, comprising a flat body portion to which the body of theshirt may be fitted when folded, a flap having a. width exceeding the diameter of the collar or neck band of the shirt, an attaching strip flexibly connected to an edge of said flap and to an edge of said portion, and said flap having flanges extending along its side edges foldable into angular relation thereto and having free tabs foldable across the end of said flap, and said tabs having notches to permit them to be interlocked to form with said flanges a rim engageable with the folded shirt outwardly around the collar or neck band to retain said flap in spaced relation thereto so as to prevent the same from being crushed.

8. A blank from which a protector for folded laundered shirt-s may be formed by folding, comprising a flat body portion to which the body of the shirt may be fitted when folded, a flap having a width exceeding the diameter of the collar or neck band of the shirt, an attaching strip flexibly connected to an edge of said flap and to an edge of said body portion, said flap having parts foldable into angular relation thereto and interengageable with one another when folded to form relatively rigid flanges engageable with the folded shirt so as to straddle said collar or neck band and limit the approach of said flap towards the latter to prevent crushing the same, and said flap having a sight opening therein the dimensions of which are less than the diameter of said collar or shirt band whereby markings on the shirt within the guard may be viewed while the-collar or neck band is protected thereby.

9. A one piece protector for laundered shirts comprlsing a flat body portion, a narrow rectanguar attaching portion extending transversely across an end thereof and secured at one of its side edges to said body portion by. spaced integral foldable portions separated by a slit for 1 weakening the fold, a flap extending beyond said attaching portion and integrally secured along the op osite side edge thereof by a foldable portion, and foldable side portions on said fla havin parts extendin beyond the free en thereo for interconnection transversely of said end.

10. A protector for laundered shirts comprising a form on which the folded shirt is retained with the collar or neck band projecting upwardl from the form, a transverse portion of whic projects upwardl from the form in rear of the back portion 0; the collar or neck band, a guard which extends forwardly over the collar or neck band from said upwardly projecting portion, and spacingmeans which rest upon the front of the shirt and together with said upwardly rojecting portion support said ard oi! o the collar or neck band and t ereby prevent crushing the latter.

NORMAN E. MOORE. 

